In the early morning, Yin received news that all the princes who had been married had been summoned to an audience before dinner the previous night. The high priest glanced at them and only said a few words.
After waiting for Yin to leave, Qingyan sat on the soft couch in the study, lost in thought, twirling a blue silk handkerchief in her hand. To make it easier for her to go to the Aobao sacrificial ceremony later, Qingyan changed into a blue casual dress and matching riding boots.
"My lord, the high priest wishes to see you alone!" Su Lan quickly reported to the person beside the high priest.
Qingyan immediately became alert; the chill she felt in the imperial tent yesterday had returned.
She took two deep breaths and said, "Let's go."
At this moment, she hoped to resolve this matter as soon as possible. In front of Yin, she could not show any signs of anything amiss. However, the identity of the High Priest was like a heavy stone weighing on her heart.
As she walked toward the high priest's tent, she thought about many things. It was said that the people of the Mongolian tribes believed in the Eternal Heaven, and that these high priests were messengers from Heaven.
Approaching the high priest's tent, they discovered some Mongolian guards standing guard a few dozen meters away, who treated Qingyan with utmost respect.
"Fourth Princess Consort, please come in alone if I may." The high priest's aged voice came from inside. Qingyan looked at Sulan and nodded slightly to her.
Su Lan respectfully pushed him ten meters away, and Bayan led his guards to follow closely behind.
Qingyan entered the tent and found the high priest standing in the center, surrounded by sacrificial implements, with Tibetan incense burning on the left and right sides.
"It's strange, Madam. Why did I say that in front of His Majesty? I know where you come from. Since you're here, just accept it. Everyone should have their own little secrets," the High Priest said nonchalantly.
Qingyan understood the High Priest's implication and felt relieved. She looked up at the High Priest. Since he had decided not to say anything, why did he still want to see her?
"I find it strange that I want to see you?" The high priest seemed to understand his thoughts and answered directly without him having to speak.
Qingyan nodded shyly. Since the two of them were just trying to make a living, why did they have to meet alone?
“Actually, I only discovered it while observing the celestial phenomena. I’ve never been sure about this matter.” The High Priest didn’t hide anything from her. “I hope you can assure me that I will not do anything to harm the relationship between the Manchus and Mongols.”
"I promise that none of these things will happen. You're talking here, won't you...?" Qingyan was actually worried about the tent where the two were talking. If the High Priest had set a trap for her, there might be some trouble.
The high priest smiled and said, "Princess Consort, please rest assured, this is the only place where I don't need to be monitored by the Dragon Guards. Others would not dare to do so. Let this matter be a secret between the two of us. This string of Buddhist prayer beads is something I have worn for many years. You can put it in your purse and wear it with you. It will bring you good fortune and happiness."
As soon as he finished speaking, the high priest presented a string of sandalwood prayer beads. Each bead was polished very smoothly, clearly indicating that it had been worn for many years.
"Thank you, High Priest!" Qingyan raised both hands and held the Buddhist prayer beads in her hands. The beads were clearly worn by the High Priest and looked particularly large in Qingyan's fair hands.
“Tell the outside world that I called you here alone to give you the prayer beads,” the high priest said, before making a gesture to see him off.
After thanking him, Qingyan walked straight out of the tent.
Once outside, she felt the air was instantly much fresher, a huge weight lifted from her heart, and she could finally live peacefully again.
"Master, the master is here!" Su Lan quickly went to greet him. When she turned around, she found Yin standing outside the circle of Mongolian guards, secretly watching her.
Qingyan smiled at him; the string of Buddhist beads was the best excuse.
According to Qing Dynasty historical records, Yinzhi was a Buddhist, so this string of Buddhist beads probably protected him.
"Sisi, what brings you here?" Qingyan quickly went to greet her, her face instantly brightening with a smile, the gloom of yesterday gone.
When Yin heard from Kangxi that the High Priest wanted to see Qingyan alone, he became very tense. Qingyan was timid, and it would be bad if he were really frightened.
"Are you alright?" Yin's concerned gaze made Qingyan nod quickly.
"Fourth Sister, let's go back and talk!" Qingyan wasn't one to show off, and she certainly wouldn't tell outside why the High Priest had come to see her.
The high priest's implication was clear: even inside Yin's tent, there would be Kangxi's spies, who would report every word of any conversations inside the tent directly to Kangxi.
Back in the study, Qingyan took out the string of sandalwood prayer beads from her purse. Yin gasped twice when he saw them.
"Fourth, the High Priest said he met with me alone to give me this, saying that carrying this Buddhist rosary with me will bring good fortune." Qingyan looked at Yin with a blank expression.
"Little darling, keep this string of prayer beads in your purse close to your body. You absolutely cannot lose it." Empress Yinhou broke out in a cold sweat. This string of prayer beads was given to the High Priest of Khorchin by imperial decree during the reign of Emperor Taizong. Now that the High Priest is bestowing such a thing upon her, it is probably a sign that he is about to pass away.
"Huh?!" Qingyan found it strange that Yin's expression was not good.
Yin sighed and said, "Little darling, this Buddhist rosary has been worn by the High Priest for many years. It has the power to bring good fortune and ward off evil. It is a string of things that everyone is fighting over. The High Priest is giving this rosary away for two reasons. One possibility is that he will pass away soon. The other possibility is that you are a destined person and he wants to give you something very valuable."
At this moment, Yin preferred the latter, because only with the High Priest present could the banquet be continuously escalated.
Ugh!
Qingyan was stunned. She had no idea that there were so many intricacies involved in this string of Buddhist prayer beads.
The high priest had clearly set a trap for her, and if outsiders discovered it, it would definitely cause a huge uproar.
"Fourth Prince, should we mention this to Father Emperor?" Qingyan asked Yin with concern.
Yin shook his head. The high priest had sent it out and should have reported it back to Kangxi. Such a thing, when placed on a female relative, would definitely need to be officially approved.
call!
Qingyan relaxed, and the color in her face slowly returned. In her view, these were all troublesome matters.
"After lunch, you will go to the sacrificial ceremony with the Empress Dowager. I'm worried, so come back and check on things quickly. Remember, once you reach the Aobao, do not leave Bayan's protected area. Observe more and speak less." Yin was worried that something might happen to Qingyan, so he quickly gave her these instructions.
Qingyan listened obediently to his words. Yin had been talking about these things since they arrived at the border of the Mongolian tribe, so he must be really worried.
"Fourth Sister, don't worry, I definitely know." Qingyan smiled. After the sisters-in-law came over, they quieted down a lot. It seems that they had all been instructed by Hua Na to bring some guards with them when they went out to pay their respects.
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